T HE REGION OF ARAGON : THE PROBLEMS OF THE UNBALANCED URBAN Spanish Group March 16th 2012

II.- Presentation of Team: Coord.: Ignacio Pemán Skipe address: ignaciopeman 1.- David Dominguez Santos: 2.- Alvaro Santabárbara: 3.-Lorena Abad: 4.- Fernando Octavio de Toledo: 5.- Beatriz Santos Sánchez: 6.- Victoria González:

TEAM David, Fernando, Victoria, Beatriz, Lorena, Ignacio

II.- PRESENTATION OF WORK 1.- TERRITORIAL INFORMATION: 1.- LOCATION 2.- TERRITORIAL PROBLEMS 3.- MAIN REASONS OF ITS IMBALANCE 2.- STARTING POINT OF THE WORK 3.- OBJECTIVES The Problems of The Unbalanced Urban System

1.- LOCATION EUROPE Aragón forms a part of the “continental diagonal” for the country planning in the European Union. Next to this transnational main line, by the close Aragón borders pass the “Atlantic Arc” and the “Mediterranean Arc”which are conected by the Ebro’s river corridor. SPAIN Aragón is located in the most important corridor of North of Spain: Valley of Ebro’s river. Its total superface is of km2, almost 10% of the extension of the Spanish territory. However, its population, inhabitants, supposes only 2,84% of the Spanish population. It has one of the lowest density of Europe: 28,2 inhabitants/km2.

2.- TERRITORIAL PROBLEMS DEPOPULATION Aragón presents a density of 28,2 inhabitants/km2 But in several areas is only about 3 inhabitants/km2 TERRITORIAL IMBALANCE The city of Zaragoza harbors the 51% of the population The second city of Aragon, Huesca has a population 12 times minor than Zaragoza.

2.- TERRITORIAL PROBLEMS DISPERSION Aragon has 731 municipalities, but only 20 count with more than 5000 inhabitants whereas 526 have less than 500 inhabitants. AGING AND BAD ACCESIBILITY Many of the small municipalities are serious danger in disappearance for the population’s aging and for the lack of iniciatives of economic developement to avoid the youngest popultion’s emigration. Also the bad accesibility is added to many of its geographical areas due to the deficiences in communications and infrastructures which contribute to the existence of socioeconomic inequalities in the territory

CONCLUSION Capital Valley of Ebro Unbalance urban system Tendency to the depopulation In the rural areas Rural areas Pyrenees

3.- MAIN REASONS OF ITS IMBALANCE RURAL AREAS A) Particular geography of the Iberian System and Pyrenees, with an agriculture and accessibility very limited. B) Traditional politics of the water based on construction of reservoirs in the Pyrenees C) Existence of protected natural spaces all that which has hindered their economic development.

MAIN REASONS OF ITS IMBALANCE Valley of the Ebro and its capital, Zaragoza, Exceptional position A) Among main Spanish cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia B) Close to the cities of the South of France. has absorbed great part of the development of the region

In 1998, Aragon approved Territorial Strategies Region has been developed a) Big projects b) Politics of small scale: STARTING POINT OF WORK

A) EXAMPLES BIG PROJECTS Logistical sector - taking advantage of the strategic location of Zaragoza -, Installation of a City of the motor in the South of Aragon, Improvement of the facilities of Ski in the Pyrinees

B) POLITICS OF SMALL SCALE: a) Recovering natural paths, promoting rural tourism, to promote tourism b) Rehabilitation of the historical patrimony, and abandoned villages

At the moment after 15 years Territorial Strategy needs to be adapted to the European Territorial Strategy, Opportunity to check projects and politics have really allowed correcting the tendency to the depopulation and the imbalance of the urban system 3.- OBJECTIVES

NEW QUESTIONS IN THE FUTURE LIKE Central Connection with Europe through the Pyrenees Proposals as the renewal of the municipal structure. AND A LEIV-MOTIV : Does have solution its structural imbalance? Some rural spaces of the region are heading to a gradual disappearance?

OBJECTIVE IN SHORT To analyze the effective achievements of the Strategies of 1998 and territorial politics along this time: To analyze possible actions that the new Regional Strategy should propose according to the European Territorial Strategy to correct its imbalance of urban system and the depopulation of the rural areas developing territorial strategies.